Ben Coupet is listed as entering the Transfer Portal today. Interesting. This, at least, suggests that he wants to play another season, but does not want to do it in Little Rock. I assumed he was finished with college basketball. If not, I would have loved him to stay here. Maybe he is just testing the waters. Who knows...just a crazy year.

Actually it is kind of surprising. Ben started for 2 years and played a lot of minutes. He won a league championship his first year. He is close to his Memphis home. So some top reasons why players transfer don't seem to apply.

I guess it is hard for me to view this as a "loss", because I never thought he would be back for his "free" season.

Probably had a season to spare and wanted to see how high a level he could land.

And Ruot has decided to play pro ball.

No surprise there.

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Ben is going to Southern Illinois.

(05-05-2021 12:21 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Ben is going to Southern Illinois.

I guess he is actually from Chicago, so a little closer to home. Still this is a totally a lateral move, so there must have been something here he didn't like and it couldn't have been playing time.

I would really be interested in Ben's reason for transferring. Kamani thought he could play at a higher level and apparently he was right. Kris did not get the playing time he thought he deserved and I don't necessarily disagree. Markquis and his head coach apparently butted heads- that certainly happens when egos collide and the player is the one that typically moves on. Toumi got very few minutes- I thought he may have deserved more playing time, but didn't really see enough of him to make a sound judgment. Ben is the only one that has me stumped. He started about every game and played a lot of minutes. He helped us win a regular season title. Just not sure why he would think that Carbondale would be a better place to play than Little Rock. Unlike some other kids who have transferred out, I don't have any ill feelings toward Ben. He gave us his all, generally played well, and I don't believe he was a problem on or off the court. I do wish he had chosen to stay.

(05-05-2021 01:38 PM)mjs Wrote:  I would really be interested in Ben's reason for transferring. Kamani thought he could play at a higher level and apparently he was right. Kris did not get the playing time he thought he deserved and I don't necessarily disagree. Markquis and his head coach apparently butted heads- that certainly happens when egos collide and the player is the one that typically moves on. Toumi got very few minutes- I thought he may have deserved more playing time, but didn't really see enough of him to make a sound judgment. Ben is the only one that has me stumped. He started about every game and played a lot of minutes. He helped us win a regular season title. Just not sure why he would think that Carbondale would be a better place to play than Little Rock. Unlike some other kids who have transferred out, I don't have any ill feelings toward Ben. He gave us his all, generally played well, and I don't believe he was a problem on or off the court. I do wish he had chosen to stay.

As your post suggests, it sure raises questions about the state of things.

I mean the guy did graduate and get his diploma. Personally, I feel as if he just wanted to be closer to home. Even though this is a lateral move, SIU is in a better basketball conference.

(05-06-2021 07:41 AM)TrojanTeen2 Wrote:  I mean the guy did graduate and get his diploma. Personally, I feel as if he just wanted to be closer to home. Even though this is a lateral move, SIU is in a better basketball conference.

Yes, he did graduate and had the "right" to go where he wanted as a graduate transfer. Your opinion may be correct. Personally, I don't think being closer to home had anything to do with his transfer. There are probably 2 dozen DI schools, within a radius of Chicago, closer to his home than SIU. At this point, it is water under the bridge, but I would be interested in the "real" reason he chose to leave. For example, if SIU has a graduate degree he is interested in, that is not available at UALR, I would stand up and applaud his decision.

(05-06-2021 08:18 AM)mjs Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 07:41 AM)TrojanTeen2 Wrote:  I mean the guy did graduate and get his diploma. Personally, I feel as if he just wanted to be closer to home. Even though this is a lateral move, SIU is in a better basketball conference.

Yes, he did graduate and had the "right" to go where he wanted as a graduate transfer. Your opinion may be correct. Personally, I don't think being closer to home had anything to do with his transfer. There are probably 2 dozen DI schools, within a radius of Chicago, closer to his home than SIU. At this point, it is water under the bridge, but I would be interested in the "real" reason he chose to leave. For example, if SIU has a graduate degree he is interested in, that is not available at UALR, I would stand up and applaud his decision.

As you mentioned in another thread, with the massive number of transfers in the portal it might be difficult for them all to find a D1 spot, especially when you add all the freshmen to the mix. And I agree. But, maybe none of the closer-to-home schools wanted him.

We are currently floating in a sea of transfers.

At this point, I am just getting frustrated watching our guys leave and seeing all these other schools signing players. Really would like to hear some positive news from our men's program.

For what it's worth, the coaches really like Gordon (who hasn't signed yet as far as we know) and Walker (who has signed). Could the Walker signing have anything to do with Ben leaving? Was Walker going too cut into Ben's minutes?

(05-07-2021 12:43 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Was Walker going too cut into Ben's minutes?

Maybe marginally, but it is hard for me to imagine his having much impact. Ben was good. I just think Ben wanted to play in his home state in a conference that historically probably has been regarded as being at a higher level than the Belt. And SIU went to the Sweet Sixteen twice within six years in the not-too-distant past, so they have a considerably higher profile than we do.

(05-07-2021 05:18 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  

(05-07-2021 12:43 PM)ez272 Wrote:  Was Walker going too cut into Ben's minutes?

Maybe marginally, but it is hard for me to imagine his having much impact. Ben was good. I just think Ben wanted to play in his home state in a conference that historically probably has been regarded as being at a higher level than the Belt. And SIU went to the Sweet Sixteen twice within six years in the not-too-distant past, so they have a considerably higher profile than we do.

Sure SIU has more of a "history" than we do. But, we have been to the NCAA tournament twice, since the last time they were there. Ben was in elementary school the last time they went to the NCAA tournament. Just not sure that would play a big role in his decision.

Not a big role. I figure location was the main thing, if he has any strong family feelings. But if he is moving to Illinois, SIU is a good place to go. Who knows, they might get back to the glory days of Floor Burn U.

(05-07-2021 07:49 PM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote:  Not a big role. I figure location was the main thing, if he has any strong family feelings. But if he is moving to Illinois, SIU is a good place to go. Who knows, they might get back to the glory days of Floor Burn U.

I'm pretty sure we'll never know the details of why he left, who else offered him a scholarship, or why he picked SIU. Being close to home was certainly not an issue when he picked UNLV and then LR. But, maybe he has become homesick over the past 4 seasons. The reason he left UNLV was clear- he had hardly got any playing time. The reason he is leaving LR is open to speculation.